Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #33

"Chess is a form of intellectual productiveness, therein lies its peculiar
charm. Intellectual productiveness is one of the greatest joys - if not the
greatest - of human existence. It is not
everyone who can write a play, or build a bridge, or even make a good joke.
But in
chess everyone can, indeed must, be intellectually productive and so can
share in
this select delight. Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men
happy'.

Siegbert Tarrasch

1) Chapman-Kasparov Charity Odds Match:

English amateur player Terry Chapman came very close to beating Garry
Kasparov in a charity match held at Simpson's-in-the-Strand in London this
past week. Each game Kasparov had to start two pawns down, but not the same
pawns were removed each time. With the match precariously balanced at
1.5-1.5, the starting position Kasparov feared most against Chapman came in
the final game. Fortunately for the world number one, it all became too
much for a tiring Chapman who tragically blundered badly to allow Kasparov to
triumph 2.5-1.5 in this fascinating contest.

2) The Luzhin Defence

The movie adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's novel about a chessmaster enjoyed
an excellent reception at the San Francisco Film Festival selling out both
shows. It will start a regular run at the Embarcadero Theatre this Friday.

3) Open Letter to the Global Chess Community

FIDE officials continue to press for faster time controls but several of the
world's top players recently voiced their opposition to this trend. Just in
case you wondering the letter K would easily field the top team in an
Olympiad organized by family name. Add Khalifman, Kamsky, Kaidanov,
Kharitonov and Kholmov to name but a few GMs to back up Kasparov, Kramnik
and Karpov.

"As the 12th, 13th, and 14th World Chess Champions, we are writing jointly to
voice our disagreement with recent statements and unilateral decisions made
by FIDE, the international chess federation. In particular, we are very
concerned about FIDE's policy changes regarding the official time controls,
their treatment of the history of the World Championship, and their open
hostility toward the organizers of traditional events.

The world's chessplayers have been denied a voice in these matters, and we
who represent these conventions at the highest level see the need to set
aside our differences and speak out publicly in defense of the game that has
brought us so much joy. Many players and European chess federations are
critical of FIDE's recent actions and we hope to lend a powerful and
unequivocal voice to this protest.

The time honored traditions and rules of classical chess are not to be toyed
with and any changes should be made only after such plans are studied and
debated in an open forum. Drastically shortening the amount of time
available during a game is an attack on both the players and on the artistic
and scientific elements of the game of chess itself. To implement these
rules without an adequate period for reflection, discussion, and review is
foolhardy and cavalier.

Of greater concern is the behavior of FIDE in regard to the prestige and
tradition of the World Chess Championship. FIDE's declaration in Tehran laid
claim to a title that existed long before FIDE was created and, we might say,
will exist long after it is gone. A century of tradition cannot be wiped
away simply by saying that it is so. The true tradition lives on in us and
in the minds and memories of millions of chess enthusiasts around the globe.
It is unacceptable for FIDE to claim rights to the World Chess Championship
while at the same time working to destroy the structures upon which the
tradition was built.

Nor are the traditional tournaments that have given so much to chess safe
from FIDE. Their threat to schedule FIDE events in competition with
traditional ones is nothing less than a direct attack on the organizers,
players, and fans of events such as Linares, Dortmund, and Wijk aan Zee.

Chess is not FIDE's property to toss around like a bauble. The game belongs
to the global chess community.

Based on FIDE's accompanying statements, these ill-advised measures have been
taken in an attempt to popularize the sport of chess. This is an admirable
goal, but it is impossible to achieve it by assaulting the very things that
elevate the game most of all: beautiful games of chess, traditional top
tournaments, and the quest for the World Championship.

The chess world is depending on its leaders to provide a suitable and
democratic solution to this unsatisfactory state of affairs. We propose an
open dialogue on these matters between FIDE, the national federations of
which it is composed, and the players "professional and amateur alike" it
was created to represent. In this dialogue we will depend on the
participation of the fans, organizers, and sponsors to whom chess owes a
great deal. We, who have both given to and received so much from chess, look
forward to being on the front lines in this battle to protect the status and
legacy of the game we love.

Anatoly Karpov Garry Kasparov Vladimir Kramnik

4) Jessie Jeans III

National Master Paul Gallegos won the third Jessie Jeans Open held April
20-22 in Santa Rosa with a score of 4-1. IM John Donaldson took first in the
one day event with a 4-0 score. Jerry Weikel of Reno organized and directed
both tournaments. We hope to have a full report in next week's newsletter.

5) Bay Area Players Prominent on USCF Top 50 Lists

New Jersey Grandmaster Boris Gulko is the top-rated player in the United
States in the April rating list produced by the United States Chess
Federation. Five Bay Area players are rated in the top fifty headed by MI
Grandmaster-in-Residence Alex Yermolinsky who is rated number nine at 2644.

Many MI junior players are rated in the top 50 for their age group including
Matthew Ho who is number two for players ages 11-12. A complete list will be
presented in the next newsletter.

6) Chess Camps

The Mechanics' Institute will be hosting three chess camps this summer. The
first, on the weekend of June 16-17, is part of the Kolti Seminar series held
to honor the late George Koltanowski. This event, which is being sponsored by
the U.S. Chess Trust, is open to players under 21 who are rated over 1600 and
appear in either in the April or June USCF Top 50 list for their age. The
instructor for this camp is GM Yermolinsky and tuition is free.

A camp for intermediate and advanced youngsters will be held July 30-August 3
and a camp for beginners and novices from August 6-August 10. Information
about these camps is available at the Chess Room website under programs for
children. The MI website can be found at http://www.chessclub.org

7) MI Chess Room Volunteers and Donations

Volunteers and donations are always welcome in the Chess Room. We would like
to thank Jim Clark for repairing some of the MI's chess clocks and John
Heymann for keeping the Chess Room computers in good working order. Thanks
also to Frank Berry for donating two historical photographs of Bobby Fischer.
Remember the MI is a 501 (c) (3) charity so your donations are tax
deductible. Chess books, magazines and computers can all be put to good use.

8) Upcoming MI Events

The MI will be hosting its annual Senior Open for players 50 and over this
weekend. It looks to be a strong field with International Master Walter
Shipman and National Masters David Blohm and Keith Vickers are already
entered.